Dicegazers.com Presents: CS Doorkickers, a CS Military Ops Series
Background
21 days ago, a Supernatural Intelligence entered undetected through the Helena Nexus Rift. Having prior knowledge, it was able to find its way along the Mississippi River and locate the New Madrid Seismic Zone, where it burrowed a hole into the ground. There it dug a lair for itself with several chambers, similar to a nest with several cells.
Sensing its presence, the Intelligence’s loyal worshipers are attracted to its location. Monsters and occultists travel from all across the Americas to the hidden nest found no more than 50 miles from Whykin, Missouri.
Military Orders
Primary Mission: The Squad is to accompany a shipment of arms to Whykin. Whykin is being supplied with surplus Old Style Dead Boy Armor, and various Old Style Weapons.
The Squad Leader has been advised that Whykin’s administration has requested a greater CS presence in their town. Their justification seems flimsy at best. The Squad Leader and their men are to meet with representatives of Whykin and investigate their complaint.
Further to their orders, they are instructed to in no way interfere with matters involving Kingsdale. Kingsdale is off-limits.
(Optional) If there is no Officer in the party, an NPC can be provided. Col Piper ‘Shimi‘ Straughan. She is a CS Military Specialist and Intelligence Officer and a two-tour veteran of the Tolkeen War. She has 2 bionic legs (spd: 50- 35 mph, a concealed Weapons Rod, Laser, Cyber Armor that adds +50 MDC, and an AA-1 Cyber-Disguise.) She likes to take chances and find ways to even the odds in her favor.
Whykin
The squad arrives at Combat Outpost Dire Hold, a joint HQ for the CS and Whykin. The Fort is located some 45 miles north of town. They arrive with a shipment of CS Weapons, Armor, and equipment. All ‘Old-Style’ surplus that Command is trying to off-load. The Combat Outpost consists of nothing more than a landing strip, a few bunkers, and a small garrison.
They are greeted by Col. Justin Stoppe, Whykin’s Liaison Officer to the Coalition. The Colonel is a man in his late 30s, to early 40s with hair beginning to gray.
They walk together towards an armored personnel carrier that will be driven by a CS Technical Officer, Corp. John ‘Skipper’ Morris. The Corporal is a younger man, in his early 20s. Note that Morris will come to attention and salute the Officer in Charge as they approach. Stoppe is not a CS Officer and will not solute.
The Corporal drives the squad directly to the Palace.
Arriving at the Royal Palace of Whykin, the squad will notice a small scene that appears to be slightly controversial. Members of a leading Mercenary Company called The DemonBusters, Inc. are petitioning the Whykin Government. They seem to be demanding the release of one of their own, citing bigotry and intolerance as the cause behind the unlawful detention of one of their own, ‘The Dreamer,’ a mercenary with the group. The protest is weak at best with only a handful of people with signs and a bullhorn. It would be insignificant to anyone who doesn’t know the Mercenary Company, but ‘The Dreamer’ is a renowned Mind Melter level Psychic who can potentially assist with locating the Supernatural Threat.
The squad is escorted into the palace and instructed to wait in the common drawing room. The cavernous space is adorned with pillars and a domed ceiling. Paintings of former leaders, generals, and famous battles fought on these grounds are prominently featured on the drawing-room walls. As they wait, they will notice an assembly of city officials, private security, and a handful of Whykin Soldiers wearing ‘Old Style’ Deadboy Armor also standing in the drawing room.
They are quickly met by Jospin, a middle-aged Cyber-Knight and key adviser to the King. He pulls them off towards an antechamber where he informs them of why they’ve been summoned. It is the belief of the King that Kingsdale, more particularly, Dictator Mercator is behind a string of attacks on Whykin. The King asserts that the powerful Shifter has sent an army of monsters to Whykin to undermine their military might. The King has convened his Generals and War Council to prepare their counter-offensive. They are requesting support from CS Chi-Town and CS New Chilcothe with the forthcoming counter-offensive.
If asked about evidence, Jospin will try to skirt the question, not having anything substantial to offer in way of evidence. He will explain that there is a rapid increase in supernatural activity in the area, overwhelming their forces. There could be no other cause than that of a powerful Shifter operating in the area, and the only one who fits that description is the Dictator of Kingdale.
Jospin offers them the services of Berengar, his apprentice. Berengar will assist them in their investigation, and give them insights into local events, past events, and ongoing threats. Berengar is a low-level Cyber-Knight, a human male, and a major psychic.
Random Threats to Whykin (Roll 1d8) to select an attack:
- Entities: (Roll 1d4) 1. Poltergeist, 2. Possessing Entities, 3. Tectonic Entities, 4. Contagion Entities.
- Ghosts: (Roll 1d4) 1. Haunting Child, 2. Beautiful Ghosts, 3. Harmful Ghosts, 4. Madness Ghosts.
- Dragon (Hatchlings): (Roll 1d4) 1. Cockatrice, 2. Basilisk, 3. Night Stalker, 4. Serpent of the Wind.
- Faerie Folk: (Roll 1d4) 1. Bogie, 2. Puck, 3. Toad Stool, 4. Trysia Faerie.
- Demons: (Roll 1d4) 1. Alu Demon, 2. Banshee Demon, 3. Mares Demon, 4. Shedim Demon.
- Deevils: (Roll 1d4) 1. Deevil, 2. Devilkin, 3. Imps, 4. Fiends.
- Monsters: (Roll 1d4) 1. Gargoyle, 2. Brodkil, 3. Boschala, 4. Malignous.
- Monsters: (Roll 1d6) 1. Black Faerie, 2. Goqua, 3. Hell Hounds, 4. Sowki, 5. Witchling, 6. Thornhead Demon.
CS Threat History from St. Louis Nexus (Battle Reports)
15 days ago: a Nexus Maw with six tentacles tries to enter through the Rift. It killed 3 SAMAS Pilots and injured a dozen soldiers. It damaged, 2 UAR1 Enforces, and an IAR-5 Hellfire.
28 days ago: a Cerebellus Demon managed to evacuate the area and make it 45 miles along the Mississippi River when it was captured on surveillance by Tennessee Headhunters who called it in. A wing of SAMAS managed to corner and hold the Demon until ground units arrived. No injuries were reported. The Demon escaped by teleporting away. It was identified 3-days later and engaged. The threat was contained and destroyed before teleporting away. Coordinates (Ruins of Evansville, Indiana.) Casualties: 2 Psi Stalkers, 7 Psi-Hounds, 1 Battle Cat, 2 Combat Borgs, 4 Servicemen, and 3 Mercenaries with the Tennessee Headhunters.
CS Threat Reports (Missouri, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Indiana)
The Night Howlers: Lt Soho Vance. (Indiana) A Night Owl codenamed Gogox and its human thrall named Imogen “Belladonna” Newbury were tracked and neutralized. They have been suspected of a series of crimes throughout the Magic Zone. Belladonna was a Mystic Knight with ties to Lord Dunscon’s True Federation of Magic. Lt. Vance reports that they are being tracked by a yet unidentified stalker, likely with connections to the Mystic Knights. 2 days ago
The Despoilers: Col Brandee ‘Morpheus’ Chase. (Arkansas) An Orc Maxi-Killer named Kronus is believed to be an enforcer for a Splugorth Slaver and is connected to a series of Slave ‘Farms’ through the Dinosaur Swamps of Georgia. It isn’t clear his activities in Arkansas, but he was ‘working’ the ley lines around DeWitt, Dumass, and McGehee. CS El Dorado sent 2 Squads to neutralize him, but all service men and women were K.I.A. against Kronus. Morpheus and her Wing of SAMAS tracked and cornered the Maxi-Killer and killed it near Greensville Mississippi. 8 days ago
The Black Skulls: Col Douglas ‘Badger’ Ramos. (Tennessee) El Oculta Raiders were transporting 3 Staked Secondary-Vampires into Tennessee via the ‘Kribaney Super-Highway’ From Dallas to Memphis, through to Nashville, and eventually up to Indianapolis. The Kribaney is an unofficial El Oculta trade route with over a dozen remote outposts and hideouts for the Black Market group. Their Memphis route is protected by Lord Dunscon’s Monster Militia and the safehouses are protected by Corrupt and Mystic Knights. Col Ramos and his team tracked and identified the particular group as it concealed its travels. The report includes a strange indicator, a code name ‘Physkon’ mentioned in several instances. No identity is given to this ‘Physkon.’ The convoy was ambushed, all smugglers neutralized and the vampires destroyed. 4 days ago.
The Black Skulls: Col Douglas ‘Badger’ Ramos. (Tennessee) A D-Bee Necromancer named Junrux Nash and a small army of Undead ambushed the squad. There were no CS casualties reported, but several injuries. Nash and its Undead Army were neutralized. Col Ramos’s report mentions that before his execution, Nash repeated, Absolution is upon you, with a smile. 11 days ago.
The Mongrels: Lt Roche ‘Roach’ Tatman. (Missouri) Kingsdale banished a group of D-Bee ‘City Rats’ with connections to various crimes in and around Kingsdale. They were later picked up by a CS Patrol and arrested and jailed, and later convicted and sentenced to 5 years of forced labor. 4 days ago. (Captured 5 days ago.)
The Mongrels: Lt Roche ‘Roach’ Tatman. (Missouri) Irogast Swann is a Tolkeen War fugitive and mage. He was tracked and cornered near Kingsdale-controlled territory. Having been positively identified, he was summarily executed. His possessions were taken into custody and cataloged, and his remains were incinerated. 6 days ago.
The Crimson Whirlwind: Col Haiden ‘Flicker’ Brooking. (Missouri) An investigation was called into the mysterious death of Baroness Red (Captain Olive Olney, a 2 tour veteran of the Tolkeen War and Ace SAMAS Pilot with several commendations and medals.) The initial suspect was a Master Psychic and registered CS Confidential Informant named Harald Bromley. With the lack of evidence, he was cleared of all charges. The investigation then turned to a D-Bee (Quick Flex Alien) named Toke Sami, a person of interest to Kingsdale for crimes unspecified. He later died in custody but was cleared of all charges. It was later ruled that Captain Olive Olney died of a faulty mechanical heart. Her file was closed and she received full honors. 11 days ago.
The Void Demons: Captain Angel ‘Vogue’ Cove. (Missouri) A hunt for a Spiny Ravager nicknamed ‘Shelton’ through the northwest of Missouri. Shelton remains at large but hasn’t been spotted in CS Controlled territories. 2 days ago
Whykin After Action Reports
17 days ago, a Sky patrol over the Mississippi River, east of Whykin, engaged a Black Faerie and 3 Brodkil, and a Puck. All but 1 Brodkil were destroyed. Pilots attempted to track the Brodkil using Heatvision but lost it under the surface of the Mississippi.
14 days ago, a Mobile patrol along the southern border spotted and engaged a Deevil and 2 Imps. Whykin forces sustained massive injuries but managed to neutralize the demonic threats.
9 days ago, a Foot patrol conducting a door-to-door manhunt for a suspected criminal came upon Haunting Children. The strange encounter to the south of Whykin led to the need for CS Psi-Squad to be called in to deal with the entities.
3 days ago, a Robot Armor patrol ambushed an Alu Demon and 3 Boschala trying to cross the large drainage ditch that runs parallel to the Mississippi River, near the southeast of Whykin. They managed to defeat the 3 Boschala, but the Alu managed to escape and continue to evade capture.
5 minutes ago, a Robot Armor patrol called in for support, they’ve engaged a Fiend and 2 Brodkil to the northeast of Whykin. Whykin is sending a wing of SAMAS and a Spider Skullwalker to the location. The fight is quickly joined by 2 imps and 2 Brodkil.
Whykin Police Reports
Whykin Police have documented random disappearances, missing persons, abductions, abnormal behavior, and even strange noises and vibrations to the east of town. Cases are either ongoing based on the importance of the person, cold and unsolved, or lead to dead ends.
The Continuing Investigation
There is clearly an increase in monster activity around the border of Whykin. Yet, there remains no evidence to suggest that Kingsdale has any involvement in it. All the same, the investigators should rule Kingsdale out before writing them off.
What is left for the CS Investigators are the following perilous choices: Infiltrate Kingsdale, send an envoy, turn an insider, or embed a confidential informant who will spy and report on Kingsdale’s activities. All will require time and resources. Other methods are, to trap and capture a high-ranking Kingsdale Official and conduct Enhanced Interrogations for intel.
Any attempt made by the CS will result in a mission failure as Kingsdale is prepared for such tactics.
Two GM Options
(One) Berengar might be able to appeal to Cyber-Knight allies operating in Missouri and Arkansas, but they will require something from the CS in return.
- Rankin is a young Cyber-Knight working at Castle Refuge and someone known to Berengar. Castle Refuge is an Independent Kingdom with ties to Kingsdale, and Lazlo, and populated by Tolkeen refugees. The CS has very little actionable intelligence on the location and does not have a treaty with them.
- Muriele is a young Cyber-Knight who has travelled often to Kingdale, having fought in the Juicer Uprisings and Tolkeen War. She’s a little older than Berengar and continues to have loyalties to Lord Coake. She distrusts the CS and will refuse to work with the CS if she suspects they are involved.
Both can use Medical Equipment and Miscellaneous Materials for construction and fabrication.
(Two) A mysterious figure will contact them. Delivering a message via a courier, the figure requests a meeting. The meet-up will be at a remote location outside Whykin Patrolled area, where they will find the ruins of a homestead, between Whykin and Laramy. The historical context of the homestead is that it was once used by Grim Reapers, but is now abandoned. Rebus will disguise himself. He is a Vanguard Mystic Spy, a fact he will not announce or make obvious to the Squad. He will present himself as an interested party with vital intelligence. He will possess intimate knowledge of Whykin’s plans to confront Kingsdale, an act that will surely fail and cause controversy for the Emperor and Chi-Town. He will assure them that whatever is happening in Whykin is not affiliated with Kingsdale and that there is no knowledge of it in the upper circles of Kingsdale’s Leadership. He then suggests that they find a way to secure ‘The Dreamer’s’ release and compel her and the DemonBusters, Inc Mercenaries to assist with the investigation. She will prove to be an asset in this regard.
Any attempt to capture him or secure him will be disrupted by a ‘random’ encounter. Roll on Random Threats to Whykin roll table for an encounter. Rebus’s support will depend on how he was treated by the squad. Regardless, he can only be counted on for one to four actions before escaping. None of his actions will involve magic, thus revealing himself to the Coalition.
The Dreamer
She has been having night terrors about the Supernatural Intelligence that now lurks in the darkness near them. The feeling is cold and brooding. Its will has been turned towards torturing innocence and twisting the souls of mortals. But she isn’t able to sense ‘where.’
To secure her release, the Squad will have to provide something in return or prove that she is of greater value to the Coalition. Jospin will request a greater CS Presence in Whykin as they continue to mount their counter-offensive. They’ve already begun placing assets near the border of Whykin towards Laramy and Kingsdsale. The Squad Leader may want reinforcement nearby for when they do find the Supernatural Threal. But first, they will need to convince The Dreamer to assist.
The Supernatural Intelligence has sent a series of assassins after her. The first is a Brodkil purist without bionic augmentation. Being able to move freely invisible, it is able to sneak into areas undetected, unless tracked by Psi-Stalkers and Psi-Hounds. Should the Brodkil fail, the Intelligence will send two Lasae Demons to assassinate her.
If deductive reasoning fails to locate the Intelligence’s burrow, The Dreamer will have a Psychic Premonition of where to find it. Encounters approaching and entering the burrow will be rolled on the Random Threats to Whykin roll table. Once there is confirmation of the Alien Intelligence, Whykin and CS Command at Chi-Town will deploy the necessary forces to resist or repel the threat.